Recent Music Obsessions

I recently had someone write in asking me what I was listening to at the moment. This is good — much better than asking what my favourite bands of all time are. My tastes change & evolve so much that I could never really answer that honestly or fairly.

I can tell you that some of my favourite music of all time has been produced by the following: Atmosphere, Pharrell Williams, Skinny Puppy, N.E.R.D., Elliott Smith, Legendary Pink Dots, Gridlock, Broadcast, The Flashbulb, Venetian Snares, Ludacris, Antony and the Johnsons, Coil, Haujobb, Proem, Bohren and Der Club of Gore, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Bola, Panacea, Patrick Wolf, On, Can, Felt, edIT, Fiona Apple, Forss, Room Noir, Bitcrush, Immortal Technique, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Damien Rice, Prince, Michael Jackson, Grand National, Enduser, Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, The Tear Garden, Outkast, Notorious B.I.G., Bonobo, Amy Winehouse, Cut Copy & TLC.

Most of it falls into one of three categories: weird glitchy electronic, hip-hop or evocative singer-songwriter. I don’t really like listening to ‘rock’ music, which I define as anything heavily guitar-based. It just doesn’t do anything for me.

Anyway. Here are some tracks I’m enjoying at the moment, organised into weird little groups for your pleasure:

Best songs to wake up to:
Roll Deep feat. Alex Mills — Remember The Days
2Pac — Old School
Justin Timberlake — My Love ;D
Nelly Furtardo feat. Timbaland — Promiscuous
Patrick Wolf — The Libertine/Bloodbeat
Stevie Wonder — Sir Duke

Best songs to write to:
Death Cab For Cutie — Brothers On A Hotel Bed
Bola — Aguilla
Proem — I Don’t Know How To Tell
Bonobo’s Live Sessions EP
Keef Baker — Daffodil Particle

Best songs to dance around your living room to:
Nas feat. Ludacris — Virgo
Pharrell feat. Snoop Dogg — That Girl
LL Cool J — You & Me
Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg — Buttons (yes, my taste is questionable)
Jamie Foxx feat. The Game & Snoop Dogg — With You

Best songs to sing along to:
Paul McCartney — Riding To Vanity Fair
Amy Winehouse — Stronger Than Me / In My Bed
Regina Spektor — Samson
Souls Of Mischief — 93 ‘Til Infinity
Imogen Heap — Oh Me, Oh My
Notorious B.I.G. feat. Frank Sinatra — Juicy/New York, New York
TLC — Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes
Bic Runga — The Be All & End All
Fat Freddy’s Drop — This Room

Straight-up beautiful songs:
Room Noir — Days
Damien Rice — The Blower’s Daughter
The Cranes — Beautiful Friend
Iron & Wine — The Trapeze Swinger
Otis Redding — Try A Little Tenderness

Though, of course, a cursory glance at this will tell you my favourite overall tracks since the 4th of October, 2005. Yow!